Operation Sukoon
Encyclopedia
Operation Sukoon was an operation launched by the Indian Navy
to evacuate India
n, Sri Lanka
n and Nepal
ese nationals, as well as Lebanese nationals with Indian spouses, from the conflict zone during the 2006 Lebanon War..
The Indian Armed Forces
also launched a similar effort, Operation Safe Homecoming
, to bring Indian nationals from Libya
during the 2011 Libyan civil war
.
and the Hezbollah broke out in July-August 2006, when on 12 July, Hezbollah launched a cross-border raid
into Israel, in which 10 Israeli soldiers were killed, and two of their bodies were captured to be used to bargain for the release of Lebanese prisoners in Israel
. Israel responded with an aerial and maritime blockade, and a massive bombing campaign and ground invasion of Lebanon. During the war, numerous foreign nationals visiting Lebanon were caught in the conflict. One Indian citizen was killed and three wounded on July 21 in an Israeli bombing attack.
The Government of India
asked the Indian Armed Forces
to help evacuate its citizens at risk from the conflict zone. Of the over 10,000 Indian nationals in Lebanon, almost 2,000 were at risk. Neighboring Sri Lanka and Nepal, which lacked military resources, also requested the Indian government to help evacuate their citizens. Altogether, over 2,200 nationals of these countries were caught in the conflict zone.
Task Force 54, consisting of three warships and a fleet tanker, was returning to India
from the Mediterranean following a goodwill visit and was just about to cross the Suez Canal
. Following the hostilities, it was ordered to turn back to help evacuate Indian nationals from Lebanon. The task force consisted of , , and fleet tanker .
The plan for the evacuation was for the warships was to take the evacuees to Cyprus
, from where chartered Air India
flights would fly them back to India. The warships were on high alert at battle stations. The task force's seven helicopters were airborne to detect and intercept any of the belligerent forces mistaking the Indian vessels for their enemy.
INS Mumbai evacuated 1,495 people to Cyprus, in three sorties on July 20, 23 and 26. INS Bhramaputra and INS Betwa evacuated 188 and 254 people, respectively, during a sortie on July 23. INS Shakti was not deployed for frontline evacuation, since it was more vulnerable without rapid reaction defense systems and less maneuverable. However, it helped provide fuel and provisions for the evacuees on board the other ships during the operation.
Altogether a total of 2,280 people including 1,764 Indians were evacuated. 112 Sri Lankans, 64 Nepalese and seven Lebanese nationals with Indian spouses were also among the evacuees. Citizens of other friendly nations at risk were also evacuated a courtesy. This was one of the largest evacuation operations conducted by the Indian Navy since World War II
.
After the evacuation, the task force remained on station in international waters off Lebanon, monitoring the conflict and ensuring the safety of remaining Indian nationals in Lebanon. The vessels left for their home ports on 10 August 2006..
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
to evacuate India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese nationals, as well as Lebanese nationals with Indian spouses, from the conflict zone during the 2006 Lebanon War..
The Indian Armed Forces
Indian Armed Forces
The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. They consist of the Army, Navy and Air Force, supported by three paramilitary forces and various inter-service institutions such as the Strategic Forces Command.The President of India is...
also launched a similar effort, Operation Safe Homecoming
Operation Safe Homecoming
Operation Safe Homecoming was an operation launched by India to evacuate its nationals, who were fleeing from the 2011 Libyan civil war. It was a combination of an air and sea-bridge which was to be conducted by the Indian Navy and Air India...
, to bring Indian nationals from Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
during the 2011 Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
.
Background
Military conflict between IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the Hezbollah broke out in July-August 2006, when on 12 July, Hezbollah launched a cross-border raid
Zar'it-Shtula incident
The 2006 Hezbollah cross-border raid was a cross-border attack committed by Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants on an Israeli military patrol on 12 July 2006 on Israeli territory....
into Israel, in which 10 Israeli soldiers were killed, and two of their bodies were captured to be used to bargain for the release of Lebanese prisoners in Israel
Lebanese prisoners in Israel
Lebanese prisoners in Israel have been a source of contention between Lebanon and Israel and were an issue in the 2006 Lebanon War. The number of such detainees is disputed. According to the Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah, there are two Lebanese citizens in Israeli prisons, but Israel...
. Israel responded with an aerial and maritime blockade, and a massive bombing campaign and ground invasion of Lebanon. During the war, numerous foreign nationals visiting Lebanon were caught in the conflict. One Indian citizen was killed and three wounded on July 21 in an Israeli bombing attack.
The Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
asked the Indian Armed Forces
Indian Armed Forces
The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. They consist of the Army, Navy and Air Force, supported by three paramilitary forces and various inter-service institutions such as the Strategic Forces Command.The President of India is...
to help evacuate its citizens at risk from the conflict zone. Of the over 10,000 Indian nationals in Lebanon, almost 2,000 were at risk. Neighboring Sri Lanka and Nepal, which lacked military resources, also requested the Indian government to help evacuate their citizens. Altogether, over 2,200 nationals of these countries were caught in the conflict zone.
Response
Indian NavyIndian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
Task Force 54, consisting of three warships and a fleet tanker, was returning to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from the Mediterranean following a goodwill visit and was just about to cross the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
. Following the hostilities, it was ordered to turn back to help evacuate Indian nationals from Lebanon. The task force consisted of , , and fleet tanker .
The plan for the evacuation was for the warships was to take the evacuees to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, from where chartered Air India
Air India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...
flights would fly them back to India. The warships were on high alert at battle stations. The task force's seven helicopters were airborne to detect and intercept any of the belligerent forces mistaking the Indian vessels for their enemy.
INS Mumbai evacuated 1,495 people to Cyprus, in three sorties on July 20, 23 and 26. INS Bhramaputra and INS Betwa evacuated 188 and 254 people, respectively, during a sortie on July 23. INS Shakti was not deployed for frontline evacuation, since it was more vulnerable without rapid reaction defense systems and less maneuverable. However, it helped provide fuel and provisions for the evacuees on board the other ships during the operation.
Altogether a total of 2,280 people including 1,764 Indians were evacuated. 112 Sri Lankans, 64 Nepalese and seven Lebanese nationals with Indian spouses were also among the evacuees. Citizens of other friendly nations at risk were also evacuated a courtesy. This was one of the largest evacuation operations conducted by the Indian Navy since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
After the evacuation, the task force remained on station in international waters off Lebanon, monitoring the conflict and ensuring the safety of remaining Indian nationals in Lebanon. The vessels left for their home ports on 10 August 2006..